Sir Michael Stoute became the winning-most trainer at Royal Ascot after Poet's Word provided the Newmarket trainer with his 76th victory at the Royal Meeting, getting the better of odd-on favourite Cracksman.

Ridden by James Doyle, Poet's Word stalked Cracksman in the early stages of the 10-furlong contest and unleashed a potent turn of foot in the straight to score comfortably by two and a quarter-lengths.

Stoute, who trained his first Royal Ascot winner back in 1977 with Etienne Gerard in the Jersey Stakes, was tied on 75 victories at the Royal Meeting with the late Sir Henry Cecil.

Discussing the achievement Stoute said: "It is relief because we were stuck on 75 last year. As I said the other night, Henry did most of his training when it was a four-day meeting, so I have had an advantage. Nobody respected him greater than I did as a trainer.

"Cracksman beat Poet's Word a long way here last time [in the Champion Stakes]. Maybe Cracksman is not at his very best now but we have beaten the others comprehensively.

"Poet's Word is a very consistent, brave, sound horse. That's what he is. A huge well done to all the staff because they have put a lot of work into a horse like this.

"I was delighted for Poet's Word. He's been in at the deep-end in G1s and has been running well in them, so it's great for him to win one.

"I think Royal Ascot is very special to any trainer. We have been very lucky in that we have brought a lot of nice horses here over the years.

"We're very glad it's happened and it's great for all the staff.

The G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes is a Breeders' Cup "win and you're in" contest with Poet's Word guaranteed a place in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs in 2018.

The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes was first run at Royal Ascot in 1862, a year after the death of Prince Albert. The popular Prince of Wales (later to become King Edward VII) had taken over many of the social duties previously carried out by his mother, Queen Victoria, who continued to remain in mourning for her late husband.

In the early years, it was mainly three-year-olds who competed in the race, then run over one mile and five furlongs. It was quite common for horses to run in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes after having participated in one or more of the Classics.

In the first half of the 20th century, it generally became rarer for horses of the Classic generation to run in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. One very notable exception was the great Hyperion, who was successful in 1933, the same year that he won the Derby and St Leger.

When racing resumed at Royal Ascot in 1946 after the war, there was no Prince Of Wales’s Stakes because George VI was on the throne and, as he had no male heirs, there was no Prince of Wales.

The race did not take place again until 1968, a year before the current Prince of Wales’s investiture in 1969, with the distance changed to 10 furlongs and race conditions allowing four-year-olds and upwards.

The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, which became a G1 conest in 2000, is part of the QIPCO British Champions Series.